Ny intervju med Tove

A blog post on a Wednesday!? Oh Lordy what has gotten in to us! I know, I know we have been abandoning you guys lately but we have just been SO busy, with Cass working her arse off in Soba and I have been going to ALL the gigs + uni work + London trips…OH HOW HARD LIFE CAN BE AT TIMES!

Fear not though as we are back with so many amazing stories to tell. Today we will be telling you all about the absolutely delightful TOVE STYRKE, seriously what a gal (love heart emojis eerrrywhere)!

We had heard about the amazing songstress through the wonder of the internet, (oh what glorious things technology does for us these days!) and from then on we have been superfans/stalkers. We were SO SO SOOOOO HAPPY when we found out that Tove was joining Years & Years on their UK tour, stopping off to play a sold out show at the ABC in Glasgow.

So, I know what you are thinking…YOU GUYS INTERVIEWED SOMEONE AT THE ABC!? GUYS GUYS GUYYYYYYYS!!!!!!!!! (if you weren’t thinking that, well you bloody are now). Yeah you heard it here first, we went to the venue with the largest disco ball known to man to interview Tove Styrke, how the f*ck do we manage to do these amazing things!? (are we actually journalists now? OMG LOL at us)

I made my way to the venue with my notepad and pen in hand (I have to look the part at least…) and sat down with Tove to talk about ALL things Tove!

FCK YES: Hi Tove! Tell us about how you started your musical career

TOVE: I have always been fiddling with music since I was young, I have always been very into it. Then when I was 16 I actually entered one of those talent shows, Swedish Idol, it’s a really strange way to get into music. I don’t recommend it at all, but I was 16 at the time and they called me being like “Hey, do you want to audition?”, I just couldn’t really say no!

So from that I got a record deal, I finished third. So there I was, 17 with a record deal and somehow I managed to sort of make quite a good debut album but I think it’s because I really took my time to do it and worked on a lot of the material myself, so it wasn’t the thing that people usually do from them shows.

FCK YES: Your latest album was released earlier this year, how have you found the reception from your audience?

TOVE: It’s been really great. People have seemed to understood the album, it’s gotten such a nice reception everywhere. It’s so nice and you realise, especially when you are out touring, you actually get to meet people and talk to them about the songs, I think that’s really fun to see how people relate to the songs!

FCK YES: We have listened to some of your older material, and you can tell it’s very different to the music you have out right now. With the music industry constantly changing, did you feel you had to reinvent yourself?

TOVE: For me it didn’t really feel like that as the music has grown with me. I started out when I was 17 so the music has evolved with me and also with this album I had a more solid foundation to build from and that made it a lot easier. I had a real vision with this album, what I wanted to create, what I wanted to do with it and what I wanted to explore musically. That’s a huge advantage and I guess that shows.

FCK YES: We here at FCK YES absolutely ADORE your song ‘Number One’ and we LOVE the music video for it! Tell us the story behind that video.

TOVE: I did two videos before that. I did one for my song ‘Borderline’ which we shot in Svalbard, which is this extraordinary place, it’s so beautiful and after that we shot the video for 'Ego’ in Tokyo, so both of them were in very epic places, very breathtaking and scenic.

My idea for 'Number One’ was to take it down and to make something that sort of shows just the person without any gran backdrop, to make it feel natural.

FCK YES: Amazing! So, are you enjoying your tour with Years & Years?

TOVE: Very much so! They are so sweet. The crowds have been so great.

FCK YES: It must be amazing to be supporting an act on a sold out tour as well!

TOVE: YEAH! I’m so happy they asked me to come with them, it’s been so great. I also feel like it’s such a great match, after every show I see people tweeting “OH I’m so happy Years & Years introduced you to us!” and that’s how you want an opening slot to work!

FCK YES: Definitely! Have you played in Glasgow before?

TOVE: No, never! This whole tour is so much fun as well because I have never played outside of London. It’s so great to get to travel around and see this place. We came from Newcastle this morning and normally I fall asleep in the van but I couldn’t, the view was amazing. The drive up was so beautiful!

FCK YES: You are in for a treat as well tonight as Scottish crowds are the best!

TOVE: YESS AMAZING!

FCK YES: Right it’s time for a silly question…if you were an emoji, which emoji would you be!?

TOVE: AHH eeeermm, oh no I can’t say that…ahhhhh ok you know the fart emoji? Or it’s somebody going really fast. I use that for everything, probably some animal with that like the bumblebee with that one. I use that all the time.

QUICK FIRE ROUND:

FCK YES: Wine

TOVE: hmmm right now I’m not drinking actually, so right now it’s a no but it’s not a F*CK NO, it’s just a not right now…I’m trying to keep it a bit professional haha!

FCK YES: Kanye West running for President

TOVE: hahaha I have to go with F*CK YES! The campaign would be so exciting

FCK YES: I agree, probably not someone that you want to run the country but the campaign would be exciting

TOVE: YES! Running for it YES, winning it NO

FCK YES: Ryan Gosling

TOVE: F*CK YES

FCK YES: Pineapple on pizza

TOVE: Eeerm NO

FCK YES: Ahh I’m a F*CK YES on that one

TOVE: Oh you are? I used to be a F*CK YES but I’m done, I have gone back to the Margarita

FCK YES: Yep classic, how god intended it

TOVE: Yeah totally!

FCK YES: Thanks Tove!

What an absolute gem right!? I don’t think anyone can read that interview and not think “omg what an absolute diamond of a human being”. If you thought I had a crush on Tove Styrke before then it has multiplied by 284922 after sitting down and chatting to her.

After the interview I watched her take to the stage supporting Years & Years at a sold out ABC. She put on an amazing show with confidence, gorgeous vocals and some damn good dance moves. Absolutely incredible how she has never played in Glasgow before but had the venue packed and a massive group of people singing along to every word (me included).

Remember I said I adored her song 'Number One’ and the music video for it? Well you are in for treat…sit back, relax and enjoy!